Of Thunder and Screams
by 1freespirit
Summary: Ed's mother hasn't been around for a while, and the one night he has that terrible nightmare in which he needs her has him calling for another person. But is dear Daddy going to respond? [One-shot] Rated K plus.


_He spent most of his time running, carrying his legs as fast as he could as he desperately attempted to escape whatever was coming for him. He glanced up at the sky, startled as he saw a flash of light streak across the grey slab of air, and he ran faster, eager to escape before the thundering growl froze him in his steps._

 _Pounding each step closer to an unknown location, Ed shot random glances around the surrounding area for the thing that threatened him. He continued running, right into a large unknown object as a loud_ _ **Boom**_ _crackled against the sky._

"Daaaad!"

Ed shot up in bed breathing sharply and erratically, giving his entire room a once-over, finally staring at his window as the pitter patter of rain tapped on it. He felt his entire body go hot, then cold in abject terror. He ran a quick hand over his forehead which had been covered with a thin film of sweat, and he began taking deep breaths as he tried to calm his heart rate.

Another flash of lightening illuminated his room in a light blue, and the crackling roll of thunder followed soon after. Ed cried out again, throwing off the covers and running out of his room, reliving his nightmare in reality, pounding his feet against the quiet house, running toward nothing in particular. He closed his eyes, fearful of what he might find in the darkened hallways, running blindly.

He heard someone running towards him and he continued running faster, still forcing his eyes to stay closed. That is until he rammed into a wall of flesh and bone. The force of impact sent both of them reeling backwards and onto the floor and they both groaned inwardly.

Ed pushed himself up, expecting to see his father on the ground with him, but another figure was laying on the floor before him.

His black coat was pulled back to reveal the militaristic navy blue uniform that adorned him, which he could clearly see in the wavering light that emanated from somewhere. His onyx eyes were widened and dazed as his raven black hair laid flattened on the floor.

"U-uncle Roy! What are you doing here!?" Ed asked. The military man made no answer as the light shifted and a small clink of metal tapped on the floor, and the young boy was hoisted into the air. The boy was turned sideways as he sat comfortably on the other man's hip.

"Alright, what's wrong?" Ed wrapped his hands around his father's neck, and stared vacantly into space.

"I had a nightmare, Dad." As a response, a cool hand was slipped onto his forehead, and then removed, all the while wiping the film of sweat that had reformed there. Two pairs of golden eyes stared at each other, while one set seemed slightly dazed compered to the figure that still lay on the floor.

"Mustang? Are you alright?" Ed's father asked. The raven haired man groaned again and stared the former alchemist in the eye.

"If I had known that your son could send someone tumbling, I never would have come here, Fullmetal." The young boy heard his father just laugh in response, feeling the slight pressure of his moving structure as he reached an arm out for the older man.

Ed buried his face closer to his father, pressing himself closely enough to hear the rumbling vibrations of his voice.

"I've resigned my title as a State Alchemist, remember? You don't need to call me that."

"Nonetheless, what I say still stands." He heard his uncle reply. Ed knew that Mustang wasn't really his uncle. But he couldn't call him "grandpa" because of the way he would look dejected, or maybe it was because of the way his dad laughed after that. Mustang still didn't have enough gray hair to be a grandad though.

"Edmund, how about we go to the kitchen where it's warmer?" In response, his head shot up from his father's chest, eagerly nodding his head before slowly placing it back in a dizzy stupor.

* * *

"So Winry's in Rush Valley for some service calls?" Mustang asked around some decently made coffee. Edward nodded his head while holding his son close to him, carefully listening to his even breathing as he fell into an uneasy rest. He slipped his hand onto Edmund's forehead, where he quickly drew it back.

"His fever's gotten worse." He stated simply. He flinched as a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the kitchen a bright blue, and he unconsciously rubbed his aching automail port. It sucked that it was pouring outside, but it was even worse since the lights went out.

Mustang continued watching the display with a slightly surprised stare.

Fullmetal. A father. It was... too incredible for words. The young, spunky teenager who caused mass destruction and trouble, the impatient midget who detested milk and kicked in doors, was know sitting in front of him as a grown man, and a loving father. Edward looked up from his leg and caught Mustang staring vacantly at him.

"What?" Coal black eyes blinked in surprise, as he stumbled on his words.

"S-sorry, it's just, I..." Mustang went off, wondering what to say. Edward smirked and chuckled.

"Loss of words old man?"

Mustang straightened his back and glared at his former subordinate. "I'm not-!" His sentence was cut off as his brash tone caused a stir among Edward's son. He watched in silence as Ed just silently ruffled his son's hair while giving Mustang an annoyed stare.

"Could you keep it down? You're gonna wake up Edmund."

Perhaps it was the way the name was all too similar to Edward's name, or just the name itself, but Mustang couldn't help but flinch at the sound of Ed's son's name. Edward caught the reaction and offered a sheepish smile.

"Let me just say that naming my firstborn wasn't my idea."

"Oh, so you're saying it was Winry's?"

Edward's lip twitched into a halfhearted smile, and shook his head.

"Pure Alphonse."

The three occupants of the kitchen remained in silence, until a snicker was heard shortly after. Mustang tried desperately to reign in his laughter, but to no avail. He _did_ slap his hand over his mouth to muffle the sound of laughter as tightly as possible, and Edward could slowly notice the man's features turn into a rosy hue.

"You need a minute?" Ed asked calmly. Mustang immediately rose from his seat and stumbled his way out of the kitchen, snickers choking his ability to breathe. After a few agonizing moments of continual snorts and snickers, Mustang released his laughter, as quietly as possible so as not to wake the small child.

Let be known that quiet laughter is not one to be trifled with. Especially Mustang's. Quiet laughter usually tends to transform the most usual of laughter into a substance of what could only be explained as drugs mixed with the person who is laughing. To say that Mustang's laughter had become weird is an understatement. It was beyond that. The man sounded like he was dying of asphyxiation, like laughing gas was pumped into his breathing area.

After a few minutes of tuning out Mustang to care for his young one, Edward waited for a few spare moments before he was sure that his son had fallen asleep. He made his way to the living room, where he gently placed Edmund on the couch. Getting the spare blanket on the drawer next to it, he also gently pulled that over his son. He made his way slowly into the kitchen, retrieving a dish-towel and soaking it with water.

"Who would've thought that your younger brother would come up with a name like that?" Mustang suddenly asked. Ed slightly jumped in surprise before answering Mustang's question. ' _How the hell was he so quiet?'_

"I certainly didn't." Ed answered back. Wringing out most of the excess water from the dish-cloth, Edward walked back towards his son, and gingerly placed the cool cloth on his forehead.

"Well, I see you're going to be busy for the night, so I better get going." Ed raised a questioning brow but said nothing, standing up to open the door and wish his former superior goodbye. A few feet away from the door, Mustang turned and laid a hand on Edward's shoulder. "I would say that I enjoy being called 'Uncle' by your kid, but that would make me your adopted brother, in a way, so that's weird."

Ed's raised brow reached an even greater height as he considered what Mustang had said. ' _So would that mean he would enjoy being called Grandpa? Seeing as that would make him my adopted father? By my own son!?'_ Edward shook his head and shoved Mustang away from him and towards the stairs.

"Get out of my house, you old fart, before Riza can come here with a rifle and kill us both." He smiled darkly as Mustang's face began to pale and he started for the stairs with a new found vigor. Watching the running man desperately attempt to avoid the spilling drops of rain had Edward staring outside his door for a couple of minutes before shutting it and turning to his sleeping child.

He smiled softly and ruffled his son's hair again.

"You can call him 'Gramps' if you want to kiddo, I wouldn't mind if you did."

* * *

 **I have a gut feeling that says I confused the hell out of some readers after they've read this. Idk, it might be you, it might be another reader, *shrugs* hell, I confused the crap out of myself typing this down.**

 **So please leave a review if you can, and I hope that you enjoyed this one-shot**


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